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Featured: Record Store Day

There once was a time where major music franchises didn’t exist. Before everything was moved online and iTunes dominated the music market, records, tapes and CDs were bought from local independent music retailers across the globe. Now, in a modern-day society dominated by technology, these stores struggle, but without these stories, some musicians and albums would be lost to the ages. Record Store Day is a celebration of all of these independent stores that takes place in April every year, reminding us exactly why we need our local music store to stay open! On April 19th 2014, we mark the seventh year of this phenomena, and we hope to see many more!

About Record Store Day

The first Record Store Day was celebrated in the U.S in 2007 after many independent record stores banded together to celebrate a culture that was rapidly dying. Used predominantly as a way to spread the word about these stores and to generate income, the trend was very quickly picked up across the glove, with the U.K joining in that same year. As it grows in magnitude, so does awareness for these the good ol' record store.

To coincide with this date, many stores and artists release special edition versions of songs. This can be anything, from limited-edition vinyl releases to things as small as stickers and badges. Some areas even celebrate with live performances and artist meet-and-greets. Whether you’re in a tiny town or a massive city, you’re almost guaranteed to find at least one store participating!

Why Are Record Stores Important?

You may wonder why so much effort is put into supporting our independent record stores. The answer is simple: they are relics of a time long forgotten. With the industry becoming dominated by digital sales and streaming, retaining at least some semblance of music as it was is important. There is nothing that can compare to the feeling of getting a CD or vinyl record for the first time and holding it in your hands -- this is something that a modern-day generation should be able to experience. Record Store Day brings this to the forefront and shows support for local stores.

As well as doing wonders for the future generations, Record Store Day encourages people to start putting money back into their local businesses. Local businesses can sometimes struggle in the shadow of larger franchises and buying music from a local store could be the difference between them staying open or closing. After all, you may miss it when it’s gone!

Ways to Get Involved!

First things first: find out where your local music store is beforehand and take a trip in! If they are planning on participating in the Record Store Day festivities, you’ll be able to find out through them. They may even have posters up advertising what they plan to do in plain sight.

When Record Store Day comes around each year, usually on the third Saturday of the month, make an active effort to pop to your local store and see if anything they have on offer is to your taste. You may need to spend a little more than the 99p it costs for a track on iTunes, but you’ll have something tangible to hold in your hands and you’ll probably feel a lot better for supporting local businesses.

And if you’re broke or can’t make it out, social media is a fantastic way of connecting with others. Let your friends and family know about the deals going on, or just convince a friend to check out your local store! After all, they say that all press is good press.